Lisbeth is a wonderful speaker and brings value to any event. Her sessions are well-attended and highly-rated based on attendee evaluations. Lis consistently meets deadlines and is always a pleasure to work with!

Chelsie Z. ThorntonSURFACES | StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas

KICK IT UP A NOTCH

I was watching the President talking about the economy the other day; it certainly wasn’t very motivating. One day there seems to be a bright light on the horizon and then there’s the nothing. I started thinking, why am I paying attention to any of the messages? Neither message really impacts my situation. If I want my situation to change I will have to do something about it.

I’m reminded of Vince Lombardi, the famous NFL coach and of course am famous 5 word speech. Before every game he would give his team the same message. “Gentleman this is a football.”

In five words he communicated his message.

If things weren’t going right it was time to go back to the plan.

I can’t help but believe that his five words are just as impactful to all of us as it was to the team.

If things aren’t getting better, we have to go back to the plan. If we’re not experiencing something that we want, then we should go back to the plan. But, remember, the plan is not in the rear view mirror. There may be things from the past that will help us but the past is the past and both the time and people are different. The expectations of the present are much more sophisticated than those of the past. The solutions from the past might not be what we need.

What is happening in our economy is something that has never happened in our lifetime. How many times have you heard that? So what? Hearing that can make you feel powerless. But sitting around and waiting won’t make it any better. In fact, we will feel more like victims unless we get out and do something for ourselves and our neighbors. It’s time that you and I sat down and came up with a plan. Don’t worry if the plan is perfect, there’s no way to know. We just need a plan.

There is no quick fix, no price charming to come to the rescue. There are lots of frogs to kiss but I don’t know how many will turn into princes.

We can either drive the car in life or possibly wind out as road kill.

You and I as small business owners will create the new economy, one customer at a time. Two out of every three jobs are created by small business-that’s you and me.

Small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all the employer firms and generate 60-90% of the new jobs. We are the backbone of the country and it is up to us to come up with a plan. Many of us are facing technology issues and not knowing what to do to keep up. It has been written that over the next 10 years there will be a shortage of skilled employees where will you find these employees?

Small businesses need capital to buy inventory and keep up with rapidly changing technology. Last year, Sam’s Club conducted a survey of their small business customers. Without small businesses Sam’s Club has no reason to exist. The overwhelming cry was for small business loans. On July 7, 2010, with the help of SBA lender, the Financial Group, Wal-Mart came up with loan packages of up to $25,000 for small businesses who were turned down in the past. A risky move for Wal-mart but what choice do they have?

It’s time for small businesses to stop being the Lone Ranger. It’s time for you to partner with your customers. Do a survey, find out what they need and give it to them. What can you do to help other small businesses and your customers? Instead of always trying to sell product it’s time for all of us to work together and share our skills. Instead of advertising, it’s time for connecting and sharing. It’s likely that the new generations will not be flying without a net, overextending their credit and purchasing everything in sight.

I sort of feel sorry for them, it was fun. The new chic is saving and doing without. My mother would have been proud of me.

STRESS RULING YOUR LIFE?Guest Author: Dr. Bianca Treski

About Dr. Bianca Treski:Dr. Bianca Treski, DC is the only certified Chiropractic Biophysics Fellow
in Albany. Her mission is to help people be better. Find out more info at www.af-chiropractic.com or call (518) 452-2800.

According to Dr. Bruce Lipton less than 10% of illness is rooted in our
genes; the majority is caused by stress. So instead of worrying about stuff
we can’t control, let’s focus on what we can. How do we manage stress?

Stress comes in many forms, the most insidious being mind-induced
stress. The old adage of “what you say and think, so shall you be” is truer now
more than ever. Or as Henry Ford put it “whether you think that you can or that
you cannot, you are usually right”. People literally make themselves sick from
their worries. So how do we counter-act this?

CLEAN IT OUT AND GET RID OF IT

It’s summertime, time to clean out the shed, closet and basement. I have so many books, I can’t believe it. I love books, but when the information goes back 8 years it’s time to get rid of them. I decided that I couldn’t buy anything new until I got rid of the old stuff. I have always thought it was important to have stuff and stuff was important . I now realized that stuff has been ruling my live. Didn’t I read something once about he who has the most toys wins? I have a lot of toys (clothes) and I don’t think I’ve won anything. In fact I think I’m losing. There isn’t any room left in my house for anything else.

I wouldn’t say that anything I own is junk. If I bought it how can it be junk? I just need to declutter and see if I can make the house look bigger. I have a giant desk that no one wants, it cost $800.00 and I can’t seem to get rid of it for $50.00. Everyone says it’s too big. I have wanted to replace it with a simple glass desk with a pull out key board. I went to a tag sale the other day and sure enough the woman had a wonderful glass desk for $25.00 and she said she would deliver it-sold! Now I have two desks. Eventually the big one will have to go.

I’ve decided to become a minimalist. Every day I take something out of the closet and put it in the garbage bag to dispose of on Monday. I don’t mind giving things away but I hate throwing things out. If I like it there must be someone else who likes it too, right? One evening I was walking down the block and there were two pairs of shoes on the steps with a note, if they fit you take them. They were darling shoes, one pair hot pink and the other pair yellow and in my size. I couldn’t believe that someone was getting rid of two size 5 pairs of shoes in such luscious colors. I continued down the block, turned around and looked at the shoes. I don’t need them I said, and what will people think if they seem me taking the shoes. Again I walked away from the shoes and continued down the street. I finally decided I would take one pair of shoes and leave 20 dollars in the other pair. I quickly took off with the yellow pair of shoes which I continue to wear. Maybe I should put the shoes out on the steps for the next size 5 to come along. Size 5 shoes are hard to find even in shoe stores.

OH BY THE WAY

Did you know that men will pay more for a vacuum cleaner than women? I conducted a focus group years ago with men and cleaning. The purpose was to find out how men felt about vacuums and cleaning in general. Boy did I learn a lot. Historically cleaning has always been “women’s work” but talking with men about cleaning really opened up my eyes. According to my study, with 20 men, men value machinery and equipment and that means vacuum cleaners. Men were willing to pay almost double what women would pay for a vacuum if it would really do the job. The comment was why bother to buy a piece of equipment that would only do 1/2 the job. If men were going to clean they were going to do it right. My dad used to clean the house, he was very efficient, if something got in his way, he threw it out , much to my mother’s chagrin. I can also remember him saying why did your mother buy such a cheap vacuum?

DID YOU KNOW? On an average day, only 20% of men in the U.S. do housework, such as cleaning or
laundry. Source: Bureau of Statistics.

Tid Bits

Want to hire good employees, find out who you’re hiring.. When you hire, ask where the person expects to be in 5, 10 years. I often ask that question when I’m hired to do a sales training workshop and I’m amazed at how many people say that they are going back to school or that this job is just temporary. Why would a business hire without asking about the person’s career thoughts? It’s expensive to train new employees and it’s even more expensive to hire employees that plan on leaving.